The Captured House exhibition opened on Wednesday, 6th July in Amsterdam to showcase the works by Ukrainian contemporary artists documenting the war in Ukraine and encouraging international audience to reflect on it. More than 200 works by 50 Ukrainian artists can be seen at the cultural hub DOOR OPEN SPACE in Amsterdam (TT Vasumweg 31) until 15th July.
“Unlike TV, art creates a personal dialogue with each viewer. Many of the artists who are participating in the exhibition, have been staying in Ukraine not because they cannot leave or have no place to go, but because they made a decision to stay. They are going through the war, experiencing the war, keep creating to show the world what is going on in our country, — said Katya Taylor, the curator of the project. — The Captured House shares personal stories of the artists. Hopefully, after leaving the exhibition, the visitors will have a deeper understanding about the war and about the bravery of Ukrainians”.
“Our home is being taken. Home, where our family has lived in peace and love for many years. After heavy missile strikes and terror we got left thousands of photographs and memory of our happy family until recently, destroyed walls of our looted houses and, most importantly — the lives that were taken. Tens of thousands of lives. This is what our house looks like, — said Maksym Kononenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. — More than 12 million Ukrainians fled their homes and found temporary shelter within the country and abroad, hoping one day to come back and try to rebuild destroyed walls and recover shattered souls”.
“Many of the artists in this exhibition remained in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk during the war. Their works we see here today in Amsterdam saw the light during the invasion. The war couldn’t stop their creativity. They used their imagination while their city, their house, was captured, — said Touria Meliani, Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam — The works we will see connect us with the resilience, bravery and courage from the people of Ukraine”.
“Art is the best form to be an activist and tell a story, — said Chafik Bennie, owner of DOOR FOUNDATION and DOOR OPEN SPACE — The war is not over. We are still here. Let’s tell the story, because the war is not over. War can come everywhere. We have to be awake. It’s very important”.
